In the middle of September, I found myself a little confused while scrolling through my feed. I knew that here in Canada we celebrate Latin American Heritage Month in October, but suddenly my feed was full of posts celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. So, naturally, I did what any good millennial with access to the internet does: opened Google and fell down a rabbit hole.
But don't worry, I have my findings to share with you so you don't have to. It turns out that in the United States, National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. The dates aren't random either. Several Latin American countries celebrate their independence during that period, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile.
Here in Canada, however, we celebrate Latin American Heritage Month all of October. This started in 2018, when Parliament officially designated October as a month to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Latin American communities across Canada.
That answered my first question, but it led me to another one: What exactly is the difference between Hispanic and Latin American?
Hispanic generally refers to people and cultures connected by the Spanish language.
Latin American refers to people and cultures from Latin America.
So Spain is Hispanic, but not Latin American. Brazil is Latin American, but not Hispanic. And Spanish-speaking Latin America is both.
Now I really needed to know: what exactly counts as Latin America?
Brazil is an easy example. It is Latin American but not Hispanic because its primary language is Portuguese. But the more I looked into which countries and regions are considered Latin American, the more I realized that even the definition of Latin America isn't always that simple.
French Guiana, for example, is in South America and speaks French, another Romance language that comes from Latin. Depending on the definition being used, French-speaking regions of the Americas may also be considered part of Latin America.
And of course, at this point, deep down the rabbit hole, I needed to know how many Latin Americans actually live in Canada.
In 2021, more than 726,000 people in Canada identified as Latin American, representing about two percent of the population.
Here in the Comox Valley, we have a wonderfully diverse community. Through SOMOS, I've had the opportunity to connect with people from Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Brazil.
So, what can you do to celebrate Latin American Heritage Month?
You can learn more about Latin American cultures, support and follow Latin-owned businesses in our community, and attend local Latin events.
We're very lucky to have two Latin American events happening in the Comox Valley this month. On October 8, Colombian Shakedown brings the community together for a fundraiser organized by members of our Colombian community.
And on October 24, Día de Muertos comes to Gladstone Brewing, with SOMOS partnering with Gladstone and Salsa with Chris to bring this celebration to the Valley, featuring a Catrina costume contest, inspired by the iconic elegantly dressed skeletons associated with Día de Muertos and a curated selection of Latin American vendors.
And if you're up for a little travelling, there's even more happening on the Mainland.
In Vancouver, Latincouver's Latin American Heritage Month celebrations run from October 14 to November 2, while the Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre's Latin Expressions Festival runs throughout October, from October 1 to 27.
So my little internet rabbit hole ended up being about much more than dates and definitions. It made me think about what Latin American Heritage Month means here, in our own community, and why sharing these cultures and stories matters.
I've heard Canada described many times as a cultural mosaic, a place where people from different backgrounds are encouraged to keep their languages, traditions and cultures rather than blending them all into a single identity.
This month, I feel even luckier than usual to be part of that mosaic, and to have the privilege through SOMOS of helping showcase and share some of the beautiful Latin American cultures that are part of the place we call home.
So stay tuned, because there are many more stories, traditions and cultures to share, and we'll be sharing them with you right here.
Prefer to watch instead?
Here's the quick version of Hispanic vs. Latin American from SOMOS.
About the Author
Ana Miller is a Mexican-Canadian brand and visual designer, cultural storyteller, and founder of SOMOS. Originally from Mexico and now based on Vancouver Island, she uses her creative background to explore and celebrate Latin American culture, traditions, identity, and belonging.